Below is a listing and description of common steel qualities for paper cutter guillotine & trimmer knives Jorson & Carlson supplies and inventories.

INLAID CARBON STEEL (REGULAR STEEL)
Manufactured by brazing a hardened, carbon steel alloy strip, HRC* 62-63, to a softer body of steel. This grade of paper knife is suitable for lower production cutting application, cutting smaller lifts of paper where there are less quality issues.H.C.H.C. (D-2)
Manufactured and through hardened material of High Carbon High Chrome (12% Chromium), classified as a D-2 steel, HRC* 58-60. Typically used but limited to shorter length 3 knife trimmers knives such as for lower sides and lower front knives and small non production paper cutters. It has good wear characteristics & impact resistance which make it suitable for small trimmers.INLAID HIGH SPEED STEEL (H.S.S.)
Manufactured by brazing an 18% tungsten alloy hardened strip, HRC*62-63 to a softer body of steel. This grade of paper knife will improve blade life while maintaining a desired cut for a longer production time. Most popular paper cutter manufacturers supply this grade of paper knife with their machines. Inlaid HSS also makes a perfect upgrade over Inlaid Carbon Steel when frequent blade changes (resulting in additional downtime) become too costly.INLAID TUNGSTEN CARBIDE
Manufactured by brazing a carbide grade hardened strip, MG 28 (Jorson & Carlson’s standard) HRC* 91.1 to a softer body of steel. MG 28 carbide quality of paper knife will improve blade life by as much as ten times more than a carbon steel blade, while maintaining a desired cut quality. MG 28 is suitable for companies with high production cutting applications needing uniform quality cuts and for high speed perfect binding, stitching machines and precise label manufacturers. Our Inlaid MG 28 Tungsten Carbide is the perfect upgrade from Inlaid HSS when frequent blade changes (resulting in additional downtime) become too costly.HRC – Hardened to Rockwell C scale

There are many variables to consider when determining the proper material grade of steel quality. Many OEM’s of paper guillotine cutters and trimmers have their own standard knife steel quality however, many times the operator may not know what steel quality being used. Although there are likely steel qualities, it is difficult for Jorson & Carlson to determine unless we inspect the blade. With this being said, we can guide you in determining the steel quality of your blade.

What material should I be using for my Cutting Application and should I upgrade the steel quality????

There is no short answer to this question but we can give you some guidelines to help that decision. To best determine this you must first know the following paper conditions:

If you are experiencing one or more of the following symptoms, the blade needs changing.
• Rough Cut
• Knife sounds as if is pounding through the lift
• Too much DRAW (Paper deviation of size from top sheet to bottom)
• Frequent cutting stick changes
• Frequent lower knife adjustment on 3 knife trimmer

Failure to change the blade can cause damage to the cutter. Most production cutters have shear pins which will break before major damage happens. But it’s cheaper to change the blade vs. losing production to change the shear pin and change the blade.

Most companies using paper cutters are over using their cutting knives so for that reason it is recommended to use a blade quality that will hold a sharp edge for an extended time. It also is important to note that over using a blade adds additional stress to the knife which may increase additional bow (both flat ways and edge bow) along with grinding. Inlaid Carbon Steel and Inlaid HSS can be easily straightened; Inlaid Tungsten Carbide can be straightened but due to the brittle nature of the Tungsten Carbide insert, Jorson & Carlson cannot be responsible for breaking or cracking the inlay while attempting to straighten; Solid through hardened HCHC, D-2 blades cannot be straightened.

Most popular production cutter OEM’s are equipping their machines with at least Inlaid H.S.S. knives. The use of Inlaid HSS paper knives where ever possible is highly recommended.

Consult with one of our sales professionals at 800.327.5136 and let us guide you with this process.